Girl on the Steel Bridge
The sky was black, and The wind howled violently across the rusty bridge. Nearby the Village Hidden in Rain, a small neighboring village lay at it's border. Slowly a fog grew closer and closer, consuming the small village with confusion and fear. Various bodies of water were all across this land, and at the peak of this small village was a large mountain. The rain thudded against the ground, meanwhile, people of all ages ran into their homes, though many homes were empty, and in all only a few escaped into the "safety" of their homes. "I-Is it him?" A man's voice said. Perplexed, a young man looked around. His long brown hair being pummeled by the rain, and soon he was too. The few citizens began tossing and hurling small rocks at him, as the fog shrouded most of his body. The rocks hadn't damaged him the slightest, however he had already possessed a somewhat length cut down his shoulder to his forearm. "What is this?" In an instant, a Wakizashi blade was in the young mans hand and with one swing of his blade, and a follow-up of a stream of electricity. The retaliation decimated the rocks in the way, and at the same time blew away the fog that tormented the town. Quickly, the villages crowded around the young man, they all spoke with disgust in hatred. "Leave here, scum!" One woman chimed. "You aren't wanted here. Haven't you harmed us enough!" A man said angrily, using all his might to chuck a sword at the man. Once again, another swing of his blade destroyed the assailants weapons. Leaping into the sky, and softly landing atop a building, the young man looked around deducing. "One, two..." He soon stopped. "Only about nineteen people there." Turning his head to the buildings the brown haired warrior began to count once again. Once finished, he stood up carefully, as he felt the old building begin to shake and would surely hurl him forward if he hadn't take precautions. "I'm not your enemy. Any of you. I would be more than glad to wipe you all out, but from the looks of it, someone already beat me too that." "Liar! You--" the man soon stopped, as in a blur the young man was in his face, his blade directly on his shoulder. "I'll slice your head off, if you throw another rock at me, ya bastard. My name is Darius." The villagers cringed back in fear, many of them falling to the ground in fear, their anger replaced. Sighing, Darius looked into the eyes of the few people. Eyes filled with lost and hate; but most of all, fear. Once again, Darius sighed as he thought of his own past. His eyes were once like that. A brief flashback consumed Darius's mind. The screams of his fellow ninja, as the past Darius was wearing his teammates crimson blood on his sword. His eyes confused and tortured. "Who did this." Darius said followed by him sheathing his Wakizashi back. His voice neither gentle nor angry. Somewhere in the middle, or maybe, more or less on the angry side. Darius still hadn't made up his mind on helping others. An elderly soon came from deep inside the fearful villagers crowd. "I'll tell you everything. Over tea of course. You drink?" The old man asked. His tune much more uplifting than the rest, yet his eyes were still filled with fear. Within a small and old building, both Darius and the old man sat in the center. A small flame flickered between the two. It's orange exuberant flames single-handedly shined the room. After a brief silence, the old man stood, "recently, there has been several attacks on our small lil' village." The man began to choke up, coughs of anxiety erupted from his stomach. Coughing, he laid down weakly. "After the war. Our village has been at constant battle with Amegakure, however after that..t-that..." Reeling back the man began to drift into sleep. Darius could easily tell the man had been awake for a long time, his constant watch was greatly appreciated by others but came to no avail. He couldn't protect his home. Frowning, Darius began to leave the room. "I shouldn't get involved..." he thought to himself. Walking outside, the rest of the citizens crowded around Darius. Their various questions bombarded Darius's ears. Still filled with fear, but know they pleaded for a savior. One that they wouldn't get. "Are you going to help us..?!" "When are you going to change this!" "Do you know why this is happening to us?" Ignoring their questions, Darius dashed through the crowd emerging on the other side, unscathed and apathetic. "Leave me be." Taking his leave of the village, Darius stopped nearly fifty yards away from the village. Looking back he sighed carelessly, "pitiful people." Continuing his stride he observed the bridge coming up. Looking forward intently, another fog soon arose in front of Darius, followed by a blood curdling scream. Still rather nonchalant, Darius stared once again, briefly. Suddenly, a quick thud came followed by a louder scream. Darting toward the fog, Darius quickly unsheathed his blade and as his pace increased, his sense became ready for battle as his chakra itself hardened. His preparation key to his survival in his upcoming battle. A small smile grew across Darius's body, as his lean build only added to his already alarming speed. However, his paranoia was also mobilizing, his precautions pondered and pummeled his subconscious with deceit and more paranoia. Quickly, Darius clashed with an unseen force. Just by colliding with this object, Darius felt an immediate impulse of power. Immediately unwary of how many were around him. Once again, his paranoia struck. His mind grew hazy and several bolts of lightning flew from Darius's involuntary hand movement; resulting in him swinging his blade upward and sending the unknown force flying upward. Suddenly, his arm jolted back and as it did Darius bent at his knee preparing for a huge leap. However, a hand soon tugged at his pant leg. Before Darius could strike, he noticed that the hand was not that same force before, but a small hand, and a gentle presence. "Mr can you help me?" Paying her no mind, or atleast not even looking in her direction, Darius grabbed hold of the girl, and quickly leaped backwards out of the fast-paced fog. Looking around, as he came into the clear, Darius eyes immediately flew upward. Intently staring at the presence before. His eyes stuck on the man, of which he could not see, but feel. His very presence was not dark, but intimidating to say the least. "You okay." Darius muttered, still not looking at the girl but ahead. "He's gone." he thought, releasing his tight grip on the girl. "You okay." he repeated harshly. The little girl was unable to reply, her finger pointed directly ahead. "He hidin' Mr." she said lowly. Her face still concealed by patches of dirt spread across her being. "We have to leave." Darius said. Though he was completely ready for battle, the fog would stop his true potential from being shown. Suddenly, Darius remembered the previous clash he has with the assailant. Just by touching that man he could feel...something. Or maybe it was just Darius. Either way, Darius wasn't mentally stable and had to get out of the area. "We're going." he said quickly, grabbing the girl by the waist and dashing off in the opposite direction. "Fast one, eh?" an unknown voice said. "That clash...There's no will. No motivation. Nothing..." __________________________________________________________________________________ Running through the land Darius had no time to think as he dashed to the previous village. Completely oblivious to the young girl in his hands bleeding. Within the minutes they appeared back at the entrance of the village. Placing the girl down, Darius frowned as he looked the other way. "He didn't follow us." After a brief silence, he glanced at the girl beneath him, who had been tugging on his leg the entire time. "....can you stop this please?" she said, her face impassive. Noticing this, Darius began to stare. "What kind o' girl doesn't cry. Or even looks sad when shes been injured so badly." he said aloud. Not waiting for an answer, knowing that she would eventually fall with such a bad wound. Cringing back just at the sight of the gash at her waist, which could possible kill her from blood loss, Darius removed his shirt. "Helping a girl. What's wrong with me. Maybe its her eyes" he thought as he wrapped his jacket and shirt around her waist. Walking toward the village, the elder from before quickly came forth. His face was astonished as he watched the young girl walk beside the sworded man. "Grand-daughte--" the old man nearly fell to the ground, however Darius rushed over to the old man just before. Grabbing him with ease, he lifted him to his feet. "I'll handle whoever did this too you. Provided that I can live her for the time being." Darius said, reminiscing about the previous battle just before entering this village. He had been traveling around in search of food when he was ambushed by some ninja who had obviously been from Konoha and were there too capture, or more likely, kill him. Glancing at the girl, he lifted her up. "Stay with your grandfather" he demanded. Sighing afterward, he vanished into a small building around the corner. And several minutes later, a swarm of people came running out. Followed by wails of people who felt unjust and angry, but would never dare act on what they said. As Darius laid down in his new home, he frowned as he tossed his blade to the side and jumped down onto a cot in the corner. A frown plastered across his face, followed by a sigh. "Just here for the home. I'm just here to stay a night" he told himself. Though he said it, he hadn't believed it. Darius's intentions were unclear, yet his motivation was the young girls eyes. What it meant, what is his next choice, and where will he go from there? All questions left unanswered and as the missing-ninja answers them, more arise. Next Article...